Death's in the Goodbye
by Lady of the Witty Remarks
Summary: "Harry Potter is dead. He was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself while you lay down your lives for him. We bring you his body as proof that your hero is gone.The battle is won."   Formerly "Not Until Death do we Know what He Meant"
1. Minerva McGonagall

"Harry Potter is dead. He was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself while you lay down your lives for him. We bring you his body as proof that your hero is gone. The battle is won."

Minerva McGonagall heard these words as the reverberated loudly around the Great Hall. She stood quickly, her heart pounding in her chest.

_No. _She thought desperately. _No. No, no, oh, Merlin NO! Please, please, PLEASE let him be lying. Not Harry. Of all my students, please not Harry. _

She hurried toward the doors, praying fervently to whatever gods there were that the lunatic was lying. Her eyes snapped automatically to Hagrid, the largest and most conspicuous in the group. He was holding something. She squinted, trying to get a better look at exactly what it was. Her heart stopped.

"No!"

Not Harry. Not that boy. Not him. He had so much going for him. He was smart, he was kind, he was loyal, he was loving. He deserved happiness. He deserved to grow up, start a family, and be happy.

And he was dead. Her student, her favourite student for a long time, was dead. The death of a student, graduated or not, always, _always, _broke her in two. But this, _this, _this atrocious act! The raving, barking lunatic had murdered a child! She was angry. So, so very angry. This man, this disgusting man! Tears were running down Minerva's face, half in anger, half in agony. People were shouting all around her. You-Know-Who was talking now, spewing lies about Harry being a coward, about him running away. Minerva knew no one with half a brain cell would fall for that - the stupid, wonderful, idiot boy had given up his own life to save theirs. You-Know-Who was telling them to give up, now. To stop fighting.

How stupid could one man be? Did he honestly, truly believe that Harry's friends wouldn't try to avenge his murder? That his teachers wouldn't punish the man who had taken too many of their students? That the Wizarding world was going to sit down and take the tyranny, especially from a man who had killed so many of their own, including their most beloved hero? McGonagall gritted her teeth as the battle resumed. She hunted down the disgusting, revolting man who had murdered too many of her students.

She would end this carnage or die trying.


	2. Ronald Weasley

"Harry Potter is dead. He was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself while you lay down your lives for him. We bring you his body as proof that your hero is gone. The battle is won..."

Ronald Weasley looked up from Fred's body. He hadn't been able to look away since he had come into the hall. But now he stood, his eyes darting wildly around the Great Hall. Had he just heard what he thought he heard?

"...and the Boy Who Lived is finished..."

Ron's eyes filled with fresh tears. No... no... It couldn't be... not Harry...

"No!" Ron hadn't known Professor McGonagall could make that sort of sound. His stomach dropped down to the large feet that caused him so much insecurity. He broke into a run. He wouldn't believe it until he saw it for himself. He felt rather than saw Hermione and Ginny running behind him. He burst through the doors...

... and saw his best mate's dead body lying limp in Hagrid's muscular arms.

"No!" the anguished cry wrenched from his lips. He could hear nothing. He was numb, so numb.

How could this have happened? Harry was invincible! He'd survived the killing curse, years of abuse at the Dursleys, a troll attack, two encounters with Voldemort, a crash into the Whomping Willow, and a horde of giant spiders intent on eating them. He fought a basilisk, fell fifty feet through the air, fought off a hundred dementors, dodged a dragon, survived an hour long dive into the lake, fought his way through a maze filled with monsters, and duelled Voldemort himself! He fought off two more dementors, fought against ten Death Eaters, fought with Inferi, a high-speed broom chase, another attack by Voldemort and Nagini; he was almost strangled by a locket. He was captured and held prisoner in the Death Eater's dungeon, broke into Gringotts, and rode out on a dragon! Harry had been the one constant in his life, the one thing that was always there, alive and well.

Ron knew Harry was mortal, he'd always known. Every near-death experience had scared the shit out of him. But it had always seemed like just anxiety. He had never really believed Harry could die. Hell, he'd imagined Harry being as old as Dumbledore before he died!

But there he was, right in front of him. Cold, unmoving, dead. The second brother he'd lost that night.

"...He was nothing, ever, but a boy who relied on others to sacrifice themselves for him!"

Rage filled Ron in a flood of hate "He beat you!" he shouted angrily. He was fuming.

He had never understood, their third year, how Harry had even thought about killing anyone.

He understood now.


	3. Hermione Granger

Tears were running down her face as she looked all around her. So much death. Too much death. So many people she loved: Fred, Remus, Tonks, little Colin Creevey... She was just glad she wasn't alone. She still had Ron. She still had Harry.

And then a voice rang through the Great Hall, stealing her breath and the truth of that last thought.

"Harry Potter is dead. He was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself while you lay down your lives for him. We bring you his body as proof that your hero is gone. The battle is won..."

_No... _That was her first thought. No. It must be a lie. It had to be a lie. Harry wasn't that stupid. He wouldn't have given himself up... (She knew him too well to believe for an instant he'd been running away).

She saw Ron get up from Fred's dead body and run toward the doors. Without really thinking, she ran after him, Ginny beside her.

"No!"

The cry flew out of her mouth, and then she had to place her hands over her lips to keep from being sick. There, right in front of her, in Hagrid's large arms, his face wet with Hagrid's large tears, was Harry. Harry's... body.

Her whole mind recoiled from the thought. It was impossible. Harry... her best friend... always there for her, always so brave, strong, and true... dead. It couldn't be. It just couldn't be.

She couldn't believe Harry could be so stupid! Why had he given himself up? Why? Did he honestly believe that they would stop fighting? Did he think they wouldn't avenge his murder? She began to sob, turning her face away from his body. She couldn't look, and she couldn't look away. She buried her head in Ron's shoulder, her tears soaking into his bloodstained shirt. She heard him shout, but could no longer hear what he was saying over the sound of her sobs. She did hear, in his echoing voice, Voldemort telling them to give up, to surrender. He was as stupid as Harry. He had just murdered their most celebrated hero. Did he think they wouldn't fight back? Besides, how many of these people here had Muggleborn friends? There was no way they would give up.

They would take this tyrant down or die trying.

Of _that, she was sure._

_(A/N) Hey all. Sorry for the wait. I haven't been in a writing mood lately. Anyway, I'm going to say this right now, before I forget again: I got this idea from Saphy18. She gave me permission to use it, too. I kept forgetting to tell you._

_Thank you for sticking with me. (No, this is not the end.) Please take the time to R&R so I can better my writing. I mean, if I didn't want people to review, why would I post?_


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